January 21st
by blackbeltchic
Summary: Set couple years in the future, Buffy's birthday....!WARNING! Just not gonna tell you what it is, cuz it spoils it! Nothing too too bad....


Title: January 21st  
  
Author: The Recent Birthday Girl  
  
Disclaimer: ok, I hate these things! OWN NOTHING!!! STOP REMINDING ME!!!  
  
Summery: Buffy's made it to another birthday. Don't know why I chose the 21st, just felt right.  
  
WARNING: Death of Character. Some might not be happy with me!  
  
January 21st, 2005. Buffy had made it to another birthday. They had soon found, at Giles insistence, that the Cleveland Hell Mouth was not unlike the Sunnydale one. Big nasties were drawn to it, and they had had run of the city for too long.  
  
So Buffy went about her job, killing the nasties. Finding the whereabouts of the Hell Mouth. That had been easy. It was right in the middle of the neighborhood they had been planning on living in before they found it. The house couldn't keep tenants very long, so when Buffy came along, with her no credit and all, the realtor had practically given the house away.  
  
And now it was her birthday. Willow, Xander, Andrew, Dawn, and Giles had been planning a surprise party for her for weeks now. It was going to be held at their new hangout, since the Bronze was pretty much closed. The club was 20 miles out of the city.  
  
"So, Buffy, what's it now? The big 25?" Xander asked. He had been given the assignment of driving her. With the running away after junior year, and the slaying, she had never had time to get her license.  
  
"Yeah. Never thought I'd make it."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So, where are we going? Why'd you drag me from my nightly patrols tonight? You know I'm not big on birthdays. Being around me on my birthday tends to leave you cursed." Xander made to protest.  
  
"No, seriously. 16th birthday, found out I was the slayer. 17th birthday..you know that. 18th, lost my powers for awhile. 19th . . . . hmmm. I don't remember if anything happened. 20th, I don't remember either. 22nd, started working at the Double Meat, around then. Getting stuck in the house. That smell . . . . . ugh! 23rd, well, with the First and all, we just skipped that one. Oo! Hey, I was of drinking age then! 24th . . . . "  
  
"Nothing happened. Just a case of that vamp nest across town that we . . . . you took care of."  
  
"And tonight . . . . . who knows what'll happen."  
  
"That's the fun of living, Buffy. Nobody knows the future. And hey, if I have to risk certain doom to hang with my bud on her birthday, there's nothing else I'd rather be doing."  
  
"Thanks Xand. Oh, guess who I heard from earlier."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Angel. He called to say Happy Birthday. And to catch up."  
  
"So, what's Dead Boy up to nowadays? And Cordy? Wesley?"  
  
"They've been busy. Lot's of cases, I guess. He sounded preoccupied. Wouldn't let me in on what was going on though. The usual. LA's his town, and Cleveland's mine. It was nice to hear from him, though. Nice that he remembered."  
  
Xander was going to say something that would get him in trouble, about not being able to forget, but he let it slid.  
  
"So, What's new in the slaying world? I'm sorry, that I've been so busy. Not really having enough time to help."  
  
"It's fine, Xander. You have a life that doesn't revolve around the Hell Mouth. Like mine. You don't have to take time out of your busy schedule to help."  
  
"Well, I could probably pencil in an apocalypse next week, Wednesdayish. Around 12? How's that sound?"  
  
"Fine." She laughed.  
  
"How's Will?"  
  
"Good. A bit put out that She and Kennedy broke up, but she has a new job, something about computers, who'd have guessed? Hacking, or something? Making sure programs can't be hacked into."  
  
"Right up Will's alley."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And Dawnie? She doin' ok in school?"  
  
"Great. In fact, she's passed my GPA. Which, if you attend classes on a regular basis, isn't hard to do. She's finally found her stride, I think. Besides, being a senior has special privileges, which she's loving. And letting her patrol with me on a semi-regular basis is helping. We've really clicked."  
  
"Good to hear that." He looked at her, taking his eyes off the road.  
  
"Xander, I know I never took Driver's Ed, but I think you're supposed to keep your eyes on the road." She teased, looking at him. The look in his eyes momentarily scared her. She knew he'd liked her sophomore year, but she didn't know he still did. She looked away, right into the headlights of an 18 wheeler. "XANDER!"  
  
He quickly swerved to the left, the big rig was in their lane. The car slid down the embankment and right into a tree.  
  
A screaming filled Xander's ears. It hurt his head so badly. He wished he could make it stop. Then he realized it was he screaming. Cordelia's right, I do scream like a sissy. He thought, a strange thought, he thought, when you were dying. He stopped screaming, and looked over to Buffy. The passenger side had hit the tree head on, he had only gotten a tiny part of the force. Her head was lolled to one side, but her eyes were open.  
  
"Buffy, I'm so sorry." He sobbed, feeling the tears run down his cheeks.  
  
"I never thought I'd go this way. After almost ten years fighting evil, I always thought they'd be the ones to do me in."  
  
"Don't talk like that." He could hear fast approaching sirens. "An ambulance will be here soon. You'll be fine. You've gotten out of worse."  
  
"Xander . . . . " She took his hand. It was hard making her muscles respond. Everything was so numb. "Tell Dawn I love her. Tell Willow . . . . and Giles I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the party."  
  
"You knew?" He asked, incredulously. She just smiled.  
  
"Where else would we be going? Xander . . . . this isn't your fault. Don't think for a moment it is. And.don't let her bring me back. Though, I don't think she'll be able to. Don't let her. I'm going home. Don't worry about me. Tell Giles I love him. And Dawn Too. Tell her I love her. And Xander?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Buffy." And he meant it. He unbuckled his seat belt, scooting closer to her. He ran his fingers through her hair, ignoring the blood running from a wound at the top of her head. He rubbed his thumb down her cheek. All the things he'd never gotten to do.  
  
"Just hang in there. You'll be fine." She didn't argue with him. She gave him a sincere smile. It took so much effort just to do that. He kissed her forehead tenderly. If it was a friend-like guesture, or his wish to be something more, she didn't know.  
  
She gave him one last pleading look, and then closed her eyes.  
  
"Hey! Buffy! Stay with me!"  
  
"I'm so tired. Xander."  
  
"Do it for me, Buffy. Please?"  
  
"Don't ask me to do this, Xander. I don't want to promise you something I can't."  
  
"Don't you even think about it." She closed her eyes. For the last time. "Buffy? Buffy?! BUFFY!? ANSWER ME!!" He poked her. She didn't respond. He shook her. "BUFFY! God, no!" He heard the paramedics crashing down the hill. But it didn't matter any more.  
  
"Sir, how many are in the car?" A man came to his window.  
  
"Just me. She's gone." He mumbled.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"My friend. She's gone."  
  
"Get a paramedic down here, stat!" The guy yelled. "And the kit!"  
  
The kit. Xander thought. Nothing's going to be able to help her. She's dead. Wait! Will's gonna kill me! He looked at his watch. Supposed to be there a half an hour ago. They'll know something's up. They're smart like that.  
  
"Sir, just hold on, we'll get you and your friend out. Can you tell me where you hurt?" Another person, this time a girl, came to the window that had been smashed out. She was dressed like a paramedic.  
  
"I'm fine. A few bruises. Nothing I can't handle. But Buffy . . . . She's gone."  
  
"We're taking care of her, don't worry. Where exactly does it hurt?"  
  
"My right leg feels like it might be broken. My arms don't hurt. My head, it's a bit shaken up, that's all." A few guys came and tried the door. With a few grunts, they got it unwedged. Xander's mind wandered. Buffy could have done that easily. Talk about strong. These guys think they're so tough. They don't know what strong means. Not in the slayer sense.  
  
"Sir? Sir?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"We're going to move you now."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
~ * ~  
  
Willow, Giles, and Dawn rushed into the little room they had given him.  
  
"Xander! Are you alright?"  
  
"Where's Buffy? They wouldn't let us see her!" Dawn said. Xander could see the deep worry on her face for her older sister.  
  
"Dawnie . . . . "  
  
"What happened? She's ok, right? Well, she's hurt bad, but nothing slayer healing can't fix?"  
  
"Dawnie." Xander shook his head. Her jaw dropped.  
  
"Seriously?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm so sorry. The truck came out of nowhere. I swerved to miss it. And then the tree . . . "  
  
"No. Not again. NO!" Willow wrapped her arms around the last Summers woman. Xander could see the tears in her eyes, as his own filled up. Giles took off his glasses in that British way of his.  
  
"Yes. Dawnie, She's gone. And . . . . She wanted me to tell you . . . . Dawn, she says she loves you. Giles, you too. And Willow, she loves you too. And . . . . don't get mad, Will. I know you wouldn't, but she wanted me to tell you guys. She said she's going home. She doesn't want to come back."  
  
Willow started to stutter between ragged sobs.  
  
"I know Will. But she wanted you to know. She doesn't want to go through that again."  
  
"But . . . . . "  
  
"Dawn. Don't worry about her. I expect she'll have a wondrous reunion with some old friends." He smiled through his tears.  
  
"Mom." Dawn said, and both Willow and Giles followed suit, naming a loved one she'd meet in heaven.  
  
"Jenny."  
  
"Jesse."  
  
Xander nodded. "She loves us." 


End file.
